Sixers head coach Brett Brown said earlier this week that his team — the guys who are actually healthy enough to play this season — consists of just six NBA players.

Three of those are veterans, and all are possible candidates to be traded before the season is through.

Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes, and Evan Turner are all players who could bring back further pieces for the franchise to use to rebuild. Since the team isn’t going anywhere this season, veteran leadership — even on a team with so many young players — is only valued to a certain point.

Young is well aware of the situation he’s in, and although he doesn’t want to leave Philadelphia, he’s prepared for the possibility that he may be traded before the end of the year.

Young and the Sixers are about to embark on their seventh season together. While nothing would please him more than to stay with the team that drafted him 12th overall in 2007, Young said a trade — whether it be before, during or after this season — wouldn’t surprise him.

“Right now, this is my family and this is my home for the past seven years. If that day comes, it comes,” Young said, following the Sixers’ practice at PCOM. “I can’t worry about it. I can’t stress myself out about it. You pack up. You have a family and have to go to the next city.

“I’d definitely be heartbroken, by the simple fact that this is the team that drafted me, this is the team I’ve been with, and this is the family I’ve always been with. I’ve been through the ups and downs, the goods and bads. It’ll be tough, but at the end of the day it’s a business.”

Young has three years and $28 million remaining on his contract, although he has an early termination option in year three that could allow him to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.

It’s not exactly a bargain of a deal, but it is worth noting that Young had his best all-around statistical season last year. He started in all 76 of his appearances, and averaged 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting over 53 percent from the field.

Young is also a two-way player who’s proven capable of being an above-average defender at times. There are teams out there that would love to add a player of his caliber, and there’s no question he might be made available this season — for the right combination of cap relief, draft picks, and young assets.

It’s impossible to ever really define and entire large city in one bit of writing. But this story comes as close to defining the intricate relationship of San Antonio with the Spurs as you are going to see.